Shacksbury Cider

David Dolginow and Colin Davis founded Shacksbury and launched the “Lost Apple Project” in 2013, on a mission to revive lost apple varieties, reintroduce vanished varietals and recreate and invent complex, delicious ciders the likes of which have been forgotten. Theirs is the calling of helping to revive America’s early tradition of cider enjoyment.

These days, apples are as American as, well… you know. But that wasn’t always the case. It’s said it was the Mayflower that originally carried the first apple seeds to the New World. The cultivation of orchards across America followed. And bitter, sour apples were transformed into bold, refreshing ciders, which quickly became the preferred beverage for many Americans. But Prohibition led to the loss of hard cider, much of the culture surrounding it and the apple varieties used in the process.

David and Colin travelled the world to meet great cider makers who maintained the practices that had been lost in America over time, and in 2014, after scavenging throughout Vermont and sampling numerous apples, they grafted the five best types to 250 trees. Thus began their “Lost Apple Orchard” in partnership with Sunrise Orchards in Shoreham, Vermont.

Shacksbury ciders are made primarily with these “lost” apples, which David and Colin supplement with fruit from a few orchards in Spain and England while they wait for some 2,500 new trees to mature. To maintain the integrity of the fruit, Shacksbury follows a practice of minimal intervention (their fermentation is accomplished with native, wild yeast).

The result? Blends that have structure, earthiness, and complexity, while also having that fruit character that make them refreshing and drinkable. A true testament to cider heritage.

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